


an unfurtunate situation

by PhoenixFalling



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, It'll make sense eventually, Kinda slowburn??, SuperCorp, What Have I Done, honestly more of a crack fic??, i've officially lost my mind, kara cat, kara turns into a cat, no it won't, not kara x cat but, supercorp eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-10-20 20:24:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20681423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixFalling/pseuds/PhoenixFalling
Summary: Kara battled against the evil of Cadmus as per usual, winning with hardly any effort put in. It seemed almost too easy... And for good reason. Lilian set a trap, rigging a new form of Kryptonite to harm Kara.Except, this manufactured Kryptonite had unfurseen effects...





	1. furever lost

**Author's Note:**

> no i don't know what i'm doing, this is atrocious and I know it. it's definitely gonna flop

“Lilian! Think about what you’re doing!” Kara yelled as the eldest Luthor set coordinates for a weapon of mass destruction. The target was an off site DEO campus where much of their hostile captives were kept.

Using her heat ray vision, Supergirl was able to disable the device and destroy their trucks. The ground shook with each explosion, flaming debris started to spread fire throughout the warehouse. “The DEO will be here any second, maybe this time you’ll actually learn your lesson in prison,” she growled as she lowered to the ground. She still wasn’t completely confident in freeze breath, she feared that it would cause the fire to grow rather than disappear. Heavy smoke started to fill the air, she must have accidentally hit the wrong cord as one of the trucks exploded. Most of the Cadmus agents scattered, fleeing in every direction.

Lilian didn’t even seem remotely bothered, in fact she was actually smirking. “Sometimes you have to lose to win,” she said with an ominous grin.

Unlike regular smoke, this heavy smog had a peculiar silver shimmer to it. Kara started coughing uncontrollably, breathing was coming increasingly difficult. Her lungs felt like they were going to collapse as she crumbled to the ground, losing strength in her legs. Each time she tried inhaling, her chest grew tighter until she started to feel faint.

“See you later, Supergirl!” She faintly heard Lilian yell over the roar of a helicopter.

_‘What… What is this? I can’t… breathe… This can’t be Kryptonite, can it?’_ Kara thought, trying once more to stand. She no longer had control over her limbs, even her flight was failing. Her entire body locked up as an intense seizure racked her body.

Kara screamed into the empty building as the dark void slammed down, leaving the Kryptonian limp on the floor as the building burned around her.

The next thing she knew, fresh air filled her lungs. Her eyes flew open to see that she was in the arms of a fireman. The peculiar thing was, he looked gigantic from her odd position. Maybe it was the smoke that was still filtering through her body that was making her hallucinate. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead of words, a feeble meow came out.

_‘What in Rao’s name?’_ Kara tossed her head and scrambled out of the man’s grip, the mask slipping off her muzzle with ease.

The second her paws hit the ground, she sped off into an alleyway, distancing herself from the barrage of cars and rumbling vehicles. It only occurred to her now that maybe Alex could have been there with the DEO. If she hadn’t been so freaked out…

Wait, what did happen? She limped over to a cloudy puddle, gasping in shock at what stared back. Instead of her blonde hair and blue eyes looking back, a wide eyed cat with cream tabby fur stared back. The same eyes were there though, even the little scar on her forehead matched.

“Rao…” Kara mumbled to herself, worms of worry wiggled their way into her stomach as she frantically glanced around her surroundings. Everything was dramatically different when she was 9 inches tall, and also a cat.

People walked on by, completely oblivious to the panicked cat. They mumbled something to each other but paid no mind. She was at a complete loss at what to do, she dared not to think how this even happened. Kara knew that different colored Kryptonite had an arrange of affects, but transformation was not one of them.

“Lilian, what did you do?” Her only guess was that Cadmus had created an artificial Kryptonite. If so, then how long would it last? She couldn’t be stuck in this form forever, could she?

Kara tried to read street signs as she dashed aimlessly through the city streets, but she was at a complete loss. Every time she thought she understood where she was, angered employees would chase her away from their shop.  
Shadows extended over the city, casting darkness as well as bringing out the abundance of nightlife to the streets. Kara ducked into an isolated alley, her paws on the verge of falling off. Her stomach felt completely hollow, but her worry chased away any appetite she may have.

“You certainly aren’t from around here,” a calm voice meowed from above her. Sitting on the fire escape was a ragged gray and white cat, his thick fur patchy and tangled with mud. His gaze didn’t reveal anything, remaining bright as he moved in the shadows.

Her fur bristled on its own, a low growl started to form in her throat, “Go away.” Kara found that she was willing herself to fly, only for her claws to unsheathe and scrap across the hard cement. Whatever happened, she certainly didn’t have her powers as a result of it. Apparently she spoke cat now too.

“Hey, calm down. I don’t wish to harm you,” he leaped down gracefully, especially for a cat his size. He was easily double, maybe even triple her size with his fluffy fur and muscles.

“I don’t have time to deal with this,” she growled, ignoring the fear that bloomed in her heart. If he decided to attack her, Kara wasn’t sure if she could take him. She tried to dart pass, but he stepped directly into her path.

She wasn’t used to being this slow, and the fact that she had four paws moving rather than using flight didn’t help. Here she was, stranded in National City and was talking to a cat. She had to get back to Alex and fast, she didn’t know if this form was temporary or potentially permanent. She did not want to be caught in a bad situation when the Kryptonite finally wore off, if it even wore off. Usually the effects of colored Kryptonite was a couple of days, but it could potentially be days or weeks until she returned to normal.

He snorted, looking down at her with amusement in his eyes, “You clearly are no a house-cat, far too skinny and skittish of humans. But you aren’t a street cat either, you’re far too clean and pretty to have suffered at the cruel mercy of alley life.”

“I’ll be going, if you don’t mind,” Kara lashed her tail and pushed past him. How did she know how to speak this language? Her thoughts effortlessly translated into meows and growls this wild cat could understand.  
The tom cat kept pace with her, walking confidently as if completely unbothered by the groups of chaotic people hogging the streets.

“I’m here to help, not all of us strays are bad guys. My name is Rian, what is yours?” He asked, his voice sounded genuinely friendly.

“Kara,” she huffed, lifting her head to see the sky was almost completely dark as night started to settle in.

“Well, Kara, where are you going?” He inquired, tilting his head in curiosity.  
‘This is so bizarre. This is hands down the weirdest situation I have ever been in,’ Kara thought before reluctantly responding, “Anywhere but here.”

“So you don’t know where you’re going?” Rian asked in confusion, “Kind of seems like a waste of time, right?”

“Well…” Kara found it weird that she could naturally just… flattened her ears. “Fine, you’ve got me there. I’m lost, happy?”

Rian gaped as he apparently took offense “Why would I be happy that you’re lost? A pretty little thing like yourself is going to get yourself killed wandering around the city, do you know where you want to go? I could help.”

“Yeah,” Kara grumbled. He was a cat. Even male cats were as condescending and know it alls as their male counterparts.  
How in Rao’s name was he going to guide her through National City?

“I’ve been a stray for years, I’m sure I can get you where you want to go, if you know what it looks like,” Rian offered generously, “But first, we need to get off the sidewalk. Humans are dangerous during the night, they are particularly careless and reckless when they aren’t in complete control of their whims. They have no regard for anything but themselves.”

She glanced around nervously as another large group scrambled past, almost stepping on her if Rian hadn’t nudged her out of the way. “Fine,” Kara agreed. She had to trust him, Rian was all she had at this point to help. It couldn’t hurt, right?

“Great, follow me. I know somewhere safe we can camp out for the night,” Rian guided her down a short alley, where a fire escape was accessible thanks to the rusted metal ladder hanging low.

“Why are you helping me?” Kara had to ask, she was certain he wanted something in return, but what?

“After my humans abandoned me years ago, I was lost and confused. No cat would help me, I learned pretty quickly it is every cat for themselves out here. There are things you aren’t telling me. I don’t care about how or why you got here. I just know you need help,” Rian shrugged. He leaped up onto the ladder, landing with all four paws balancing on the narrow bar.

“Come on,” he positioned himself so that he could help her if need be.

Kara stepped back, trying to get a good judge of distance. She had no idea how capable her body was of jumping, although she knew that cats were athletic and quite capable of a simple 7 foot jump. All she had to do was believe that she was capable.

“Okay,” she took a deep breath to steady herself before taking a running leap. She extended her forepaws, managing to snag a hold of the ladder. Kara struggled to pull herself up, her hind legs unable to grasp anything.

“I got you,” Rian gently grabbed the back of her scruff. Her body naturally went limp under his grasp as he pulled her safely onto the steps.

She nodded her thanks and followed him up the fire escape. Her belly twisted into a knot as the distance grew between her and the ground. _‘Is this what humans feel like? Constant fear? One wrong step and I could die.’_

Finally, the two cats arrived to a desolate rooftop. They were alone, save for a few pigeons that scattered as soon as they saw the predators. At least she was away from the foot traffic, and now that she was higher up, she could potentially get a better view of where she was.

Kara jumped off the fire escape, relieved when her paws hit solid brick. “Thank Rao,” she whispered to herself.

“Now that we’re safe, tell me where you need to go so I can start plotting our path,” Rian guided her to a large metal pipe that reached out of the top of the building. It was all there was to block out the bulk of the wind.

“The DEO building,” she said without giving it a second thought.  
His eyes clouded with confusion, “I’m sorry, I don’t know names all too well. Can you describe it? Any particular landmarks?”

“The front of the building is glass, there is a balcony about one story up.” Kara knew her description wasn’t good enough, it didn’t particularly stand out against the majority of the buildings in National City.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know where that is. Do you know any place with a landmark? Or something definitive that I can locate?” She didn’t understand it, but she could hear his voice was heavy with sympathy.

A lightbulb went off. “Oh! Perhaps a skyscraper! There’s a huge L on the side of the building!” Kara chirped excitedly, “If I can find L-Corp, I should be able to find my way back to Alex!”

“Slow down there, kit. What does an ‘L’ look like?” Rian blinked patiently, pointing with an extended claw to a pile of soot.

_‘Shoot! Of course a cat wouldn’t understand human language. How do I even understand this language? Nothing makes sense!’_ Kara sighed, the flare of hope started to fade as this was becoming increasingly apparent that it was going to be nearly impossible to find her way.

Taking her time, Kara carefully drew a simple L into the soot, hoping it would be enough for Rian to figure out.

“Oh! You mean the Tower of Terror!” Rian’s eyes widened with fear, “Why would you want to go there?”

“Tower… of Terror?” Now Kara was even more confused.

“That place gets attacked on a weekly basis! We strays do our best to stay away, flying creatures and debris don’t mix well with street cats. Once, an explosion killed a mother and her entire litter of kittens a while back,” Rian dipped his head as sadness darkened his gaze.

“Oh… I didn’t know,” she murmured, looking away from the massive stray tom. Of course she knew of the attacks on L-Corp, she was there for most of them trying to save Lena. It had never considered the effect on anyone else, she didn’t even realize there was a big stray problem in the city. Or that her escapades could hurt other creatures.

“If you’re positive you can find your way to Alex from the Tower, than I will lead you there,” offered, resting his tail on her shoulder.

“Really? Thank you!” Kara gasped, “What can I do to repay you?” Not that the cat version of Kara had anything to offer, but maybe when she got back to her human form...

“Stay safe, don’t wander off in a city you aren’t prepared for,” he replied gruffly.

Kara held her tongue, there was no sane way to explain to Rian what had actually happened. One minute she was a super-powered alien stopping an evil organization and the next second she was a cat. She could easily handle herself, but she didn’t know the limitations of her body, it didn’t feel like she had her powers either.

“We’ll get a good night’s rest and get going early in the morning. It’s going to be a lot of walking and dodging cars,” Rian yawned. He tucked himself underneath the giant pipe, curling up until he was no more than a massive ball of fluff.

Kara took shelter on the other side, hoping that her fur would keep out the chill as the night grew progressively colder. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion, her heart ached for her human life. Alex was probably just as terrified as she was, for all she knew Kara could be dead. She had to hope that Brainy would examine the Kryptonite and find a cure, just in case.

Lena… Her body shuddered at the thought of what her best friend was going to think. She was always so fearful that Kara would abandon her, just like everyone else in her troubled life. If everything went according to plan, she would be able to find the DEO and fix this within a couple of days.

_When Kara opened her eyes, she was standing at Lena’s doorstep. Kara pounded at the door, begging for Lena to open up._

“_Lena! Please, you don’t understand. I wasn’t ignoring you, we’re still friends!” She shouted, desperately hoping for the chance to explain what happened._

_“Go away Kara, you’ve made it perfectly clear you don’t care about me enough to tell me why you disappeared without any explanation!” Lena snarled from the other side of the door._

_“Just give me the chance! Just talk to me,” she pleaded, sinking to the floor. Before she knew it, tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks._

_No matter what she was saying, Lena refused to listen. “You’ve never cared about me! You only used my for your articles. I’m just a Luthor to you, that’s all I’ll ever be,” Lena raged. Kara could feel her hatred through the door, coming off in molten waves of heat._

_“No! I love you because you’re a Luthor, you never let that stop you. You’re my best friend Lena, my life would never be the same without you,” Kara’s voice faltered._

_"Too late for that! Maybe you shouldn't have lied to me for years if you actually cared about me!" Lena seethed. Kara could feel her flaming hatred through the door._

Kara jolted awake, heart pounding against her chest so hard she was sure it would break through. Her head was clouded with confusion, she leapt to her feet immediately when she didn’t recognize her surroundings. How did she get to the top of a roof top? Why was she so condensed? And why was she standing on four legs?

Her memory came flooding back all at once, her confusion being washed away as it finally occurred to her what was going on. Her worry picked right back up where it left off once she realized her designated guide had disappeared.

“Did he leave me? There’s no way I can find L-Corp without Rian…” Kara glanced around hopelessly. Even in the early morning light, she didn’t recognize where she was. When she was flying as Supergirl, she didn’t care to take the time to memorize the labyrinth that was National City. Of course she knew landmarks and streets, but from a cat’s eye view… she was at a complete loss.

“Aw, did someone miss me?” A friendly purr turned her attention to the fire escape. At the base of Rian’s paws was a freshly caught squirrel. Her belly churned in a boiling mixture of hunger and disgust, what she wouldn’t give for a nice steamy potsticker…

“I brought some food, we need our energy for our journey,” he carried the squirrel over to her, dropping it at her feet.

“Oh, thank you…” Kara poked at it, grumbling in distaste for the idea of eating a raw squirrel. Even the scent of it brought bile, apparently she hadn’t gained the taste buds of a cat. She would have to starve then, it shouldn’t be but a day more until she was safe with Alex.

“If you’re not hungry, I suppose we can find something if need be,” Rian shrugged. He fluffed out his thick fur and glanced down at her, “Come on, unless you’re expecting to grow a pair of wings and fly there we better go.”

“No, of course not. That would be silly,” Kara replied sheepishly, ducking her head in embarrassment.

A couple of minutes later, the two cats were safely on the ground. She wasn’t too fond of the heights, Kara preferred to keep all four paws on the ground where it was nice and safe. She didn’t want to test out the theory about how many lives cats had.

Under the smart eye of Rian the street cat, Kara successfully crossed her first street. It wasn’t without hesitation, but Rian reassured her that it was safer to cross with the crowd, that way they could blend in and not draw attention to themselves.

“Good job! Unfortunately, crossroads are going to be a significant chunk of our journey,” Rian meowed loudly over the roaring of the passing traffic.

Kara shivered, hating the idea of such destructive vehicles being just feet away. Any of the car could squash her in a split second… She was trailing behind, Kara quickened her pace to avoid being stepped on. People really didn’t care about anything did they?

Time crawled by slower than a three legged spider as Kara and Rian dodged their way through National City’s inner streets, doing their best to not be trampled. Her paw pads were so raw from walking on pavement, she stopped periodically to lick the grit off. Is this how humans felt when their frail human bodies were pushed to their breaking point? Only after a long day of sparing with Brainy and Nia could even bring her even remotely close to how dead tired she felt.

“So, this Alex you’re so eager to get back too?” Rian asked, jolting Kara’s thoughts back to him rather than her pains.

“My sister,” Kara replied cautiously.

“How did you find yourself on the outskirts of the city anyways? You certainly don’t look like you belong here on the gritty streets,” Rian sounded more curious than anything else.

She wanted to be honest, but it wasn’t worth her breathe to explain to a cat how she ended up this way. “I… uh… Got into a fight with someone. A fire started, I fled and got lost.” Kara winced, knowing full well how lackluster her explanation was.

Rian rolled his eyes but there was amusement in his purr, “You aren’t one for much detail, are you?”

Kara didn’t reply, finding it easier to focus on one pawstep at a time than to continue talking. Rian, on the other hand, kept talking on and on about the dangers of National City. She deeply appreciated his help, but as the sun once again started to lower over the skyscrapers… Kara grew impatient. If it was up to her, she wouldn’t be walking at a steady pace, she just wanted to get there no matter how fast she had to run.

“Hey! You! The one that’s half asleep on her paws!” Rian chirped loudly in her ear, almost startling Kara out of her fur. (Now that was one expressions she never thought she would use).

"What?" Kara mumbled, her head still off in a daze.

"Look up," he jerked his nose to the sky. She followed his gaze, sudden energy fueling her paws as the L-Corp building just on the other side of the street.

"Oh thank Rao!" Kara cried out in joy as hope flared in her chest. If they rested for the night then she was certain she would be able to find her way to the DEO.

"Come on then!" Rian briefly checked the street for cars before trotted across at full speed. Usually this would have been fine, if it wasn’t a four lane road at dusk.

A car whipped around the corner, going a little too fast for city speed limits as they carelessly sped towards Rian. The massive tom froze with fear as the gap quickly closed, unable to move himself to safety.

Tires squealed as they attempted to stop in time, but from where Kara was standing, it would be too late.

"Rian!" Kara yowled, propelling herself across the street with her surprisingly powerful hind legs. Her head slammed into the gray cat, knocking him onto the sidewalk.

Dizzy and dazed with terror, Kara braced herself as the car came over her. Is this how she was going to die? No one would know what happened to Kara or Supergirl, Alex would work herself to death to find her, Lena would assume the worst; Kara didn’t want to be friends with her anymore.

Kara wasn’t ready to die, surely not as a cat either.


	2. the furiend that you need when you're lost and don't know what to do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected ally picks up Kara-cat, making her journey to find Alex drastically easier and harder at the same time. While she was safe, if the kryptonite affects wore off it would surely shatter her relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for more nonsensical gay ramblings follow me on twitter @Phoenixfalling2

But the car didn’t touch her.

“Kara! Run!” Rian yowled on the other side of the darkness. Her ears were burning as all she could hear was her pounding hard like a gorilla locked up in a cage.

She couldn’t bring herself to run or even open her eyes for that matter. Her paws were frozen to the ground, her entire body trembling uncontrollably as she waited for imminent death. Kara waited, any second the car was going to smush her.  
A door clicked open as someone got out of the car. She pried her eyes open, fixating on the blinding headlights beaming down  
on her.  
“Oh thank god, you’re okay,” a femine voice breathed a hefty sigh of relief. “You’re such a skinny little thing…” She murmured, sympathy heavy like maple syrup in her voice.

“Kara! Come on!” Rian hissed from the sidewalk.

“Here kitty-kitty… I won’t hurt you, I promise,” her voice was soothing and gentle. The woman’s feet scuffled against the ground as she moved closer, “Sweet little kitty, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Kara blinked against the harsh light, shaking her head and stepped away from the woman. Her nose was clogged with the stench of gasoline and burning oil, her breathing became erratic and shallow.

“Hey now…” She murmured, crouching so that she was at the same level as Kara. She reached out her hand in show of peace,  
“Let me get you somewhere warm and safe.”

Her gaze finally started to focus, the dark haziness slowly disappearing. Kara narrowed her eyes, feeling of familiarity within the pit of her stomach warning her to not move. Every atom in her body screamed to move but her instincts roared even louder to look and not run.

Tentatively, she stepped forwards so that her face was no longer obscured by the headlights. A purr so strong that it surprised Kara erupted from her vocal cords as she recognized the stiff demeanor of Lena Luthor. Shadowed eyes filled with kindness and worry stared directly into hers, almost pleading.

“It’s okay! I know this human!” Kara’s body relaxed, the tension fleeing faster than a cat in a sudden rainstorm.

“Really?” Rian gaped in utter disbelief.

Lena’s smile broadened as she allowed Kara cat a chance to sniff her. Kara skipped that part entirely, rubbing against her leg and purred uncontrollably. She was overjoyed to see a familiar face in these terrifying times, someone that should be able to lead her directly to Alex and her way out of this fuzzy body.

Now it was only a matter of time..

“Thank you Rian! I wouldn’t have made it here without you,” Kara delightfully chirped.

He nodded, though his eyes revealed uncertainty as he disappeared into the impenetrable shadows.  
Lena hesitated for a second before slowly petting Kara. She leaned into the soft touch, her fur tingling wherever her hand glided over.

“You’re too friendly to be a stray…” She said quietly, glancing around the quiet street. A few people crossed the street, giving Lena disgusted looks as she scratched Kara- cat’s head. The wonderful sensation reminded Kara of when Lena would play with her hair.

“I don’t think you’ll make it out here darting in front of cars like that. Why don’t you come back to the office with me? I’ll figure out what to do with you tomorrow,” Lena decided. Carefully, she scoped Kara up and held her securely to her chest.

“Thank you, Mr. Smith! I can walk from here,” she poked her head through the passenger window. They were less than a block from the main entrance for L-Corp.

“I sure am sorry Miss Luthor! She just came out of nowhere…” The driver stumbled embarrassingly. “I sure am glad the kitty is okay though.”

“I’m glad you managed to stop in time. Don’t stress about it, she is in safe arms now,” Lena reassured him, her grip tightening around Kara’s lithe body.

For the first time since her transformation, she felt truly safe. Nothing was going to harm her, nothing could harm her. Lena’s rich scent of lavender and rose from some overly expensive perfume relaxed her body, sinking into Lena’s arms.

“Looks like she likes you,” Mr. Smith commented before the car crawled away.

Lena watched as a couple people moved across the street to walk vertically, clearly avoiding the youngest Luthor. “Let’s get inside,” Lena murmured, conscious of the judgemental stares from an older couple that hurried by.

They didn’t head straight up to her office like Kara expected, she made a couple quick stops along the way. But they weren’t for business reasons like ordering an intern to make copies or file, but encouraging people to go home instead.

“Sebestian, go on home for the weekend. What you’re doing now can wait until Monday, don’t waste your youth on data entry,” she leaned over the cubicle where a young man was typing urgently.

“But Miss Luthor-” he didn’t even look away from the computer, “I’m almost done, just a couple more lines.”

“Kid, that’s what I keep saying and the next thing I know the sun’s coming up and I’ve missed Christmas. Not that I ever had anywhere to go, but what I’m saying is to get out of here before life leaves you behind,” Lena stood firm.

His attention still glued to the screen, Kara meowed loudly. His head whirled around, startled at the sight of the cat in his boss’ arms.

“Miss Luthor, may I ask why you have a cat?” He inquired, his eyes flickering from Lena to Kara’s feline body.

“Don’t worry about it. Now, as your boss, I’m telling you to go home. I admire your work ethic and I’ll remember it when the season of promotions comes around,”she smiled down at the intern.

The additional comment put the right pep in his step, inspiring Sebestian hurriedly packed up his stuff and turned off his computer as quickly as humanly possible.

Lena left him, glancing around the first floor of L-Corp for any signs of anyone else staying late. “I think it’s just Sebestian. I’ll make an announcement later for people to go home.”

“Why aren’t you going you going home? You should live a little too,” Kara asked, completely forgetting about her predicament until a sympathetic meow came out of her.

“I know, little kitty. It’s Friday night, why aren’t you going anywhere?” Lena said, mostly to herself as she stepped into the elevator. “Because I don’t have anyone to go to.”

Kara flinched, Lena’s sediment stabbed like a kryptonite knife through her heart. She purred reassuringly, nuzzling her head underneath Lena’s chin. Guilt tugged at her paws as Kara realized that she hadn’t been the best friend to Lena lately, she was so busy with Supergirl issues… She had to admit, her excuses were becoming falsifiable.

“I can’t wait until Kara meets you, she is going to absolutely fall in love with you,” Lena sighed heavily, her grip stiffening, “Well, that is if we’re still friends. I haven’t heard anything from her all day… I know she’s busy, but maybe now that I have a cat she’ll try and make time for us.”

Kara’s purr cut out as guilt drained all air out of her chest. It wasn’t intentional, she would have to have a damn good explanation for the silence when she recovered. She had no idea how much Lena needed their time together.

Lena shook her head and chuckled, “I know, it’s ridiculous. I’m talking to a cat about my issues… It’s not like anyone else is going to listen though.”

The elevator dinged, opening the door to a dark and desolate office space. The only light was from Lena’s assistance, Tess, who was busy filing paperwork.

“Oh! Lena! I know, I’ll head home but I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for you before I left,” Tess stood up to greet her boss. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of Kara-cat, “What have you got there, boss?”

“A cat, Tess. I assumed you were smart enough to see that,” Lena teased lightly as she walked to her office with her assistant on her heel.

“Clearly, I mean why do you have it?” She inquired curiously, holding the door open for Lena.

“The driver almost hit her,” Lena said over her shoulder. She carefully set Kara down on her plush leather couch the second the door clicked shut. “All I need you to do is send me the files on the Spherical merger and order everything a cat needs. I have some leftover salmon from my lunch and newspaper from the fire last night.”

“Shit, I heard about that. That was Cadmus, right?” Tess asked gently. She was one of the few people that didn’t judge Lena for her lineage.

“Yeah, I just have a really bad feeling about it. I haven’t heard anything about Supergirl… I hope my mother didn’t capture her,” Lena grow quiet.

Tess took that as her cue to leave Lena, “I’ll see you Monday, don’t stay up too late, okay?” Her words were more out of courtesy rather than expectations, Tess knew better than anyone that Lena was going to work all weekend.

“Yeah, okay,” Lena muttered when she was alone with Kara. She glanced around the empty office, an isolated darkness spreading throughout her eyes. Silently, she sat down at her desk and pulled out a tablet.

“Lena…” Kara rumbled, wanting nothing more than to pull her friend into a hug and never let go. This was no life, being cooped up in a desolate room, completely isolated from the world.

“How am I supposed to make a name for myself when Lilian is determined to undermine me? I made a suit that saved Supergirl’s life, I helped defeat the Daxamite invaders…” Lena rambled on to herself as she set out a bunch of papers onto her desk. “They will only ever see me as a Luthor.”

Kara, unable to do much else than use her natural cuteness as a cat, leaped onto her desk. She managed to make the jump with ease, landing exactly where she wanted too. ‘Well at least I’m getting the hang of this,’ she thought, carelessly stepping all over Lena’s work.

“Kitty, I appreciate your attention but I need to work,” Lena gently picked Kara up and set her on the ground.  
Once again, Kara jumped up on the desk. She rolled around on the organized stacks of loose paper, purposefully messing them up. Lena narrowed her eyes despite the smile that had started to shine, “Fair enough. I’m the idiot that brought a cat into the office of a CEO. But I need to stay busy. If I stay busy, than I don’t have to think about anything but work.”

Kara let out a mrrw, splaying out her long lithe body across her desk. _‘Stay busy? You’re always busy. Even in your sleep, you’re dreaming of the next big thing. That’s what I admire about you, you are so annoyingly dedicated to L-Corp that it consumes you.’_ She playfully swatted at Lena’s hand as she moved the tablet to her lap.

“I’ll feed you in a second, than maybe you’ll give me a moment of peace,” Lena rolled her eyes as she continued to work.

Kara huffed, flicking her tail with annoyance as she tried to think how else to distract Lena. What she needed now was comfort, not to drown herself with work. Watching Lena’s face grow expressionless as she became absorbed into her endless tasks inspired a resolution within her chest. She would do everything in her power to make sure Lena didn’t feel so alone, even if it meant accompanying Lena while she worked on important L-Corp projects.

The office was cold and unwelcoming, feeding off of the negative energy leaching from Lena. There was this unshakable feeling of isolation, one that would drive Kara absolutely crazy if she had to live in this sort of toxic environment. She knew that Lena was naturally an antisocial person and focused where there were no distractions, but this was just… wrong.

The day’s journey had finally started taking its toll, her body was stiff with soreness. It didn’t help that the room was completely silent, and while it was blindingly bright, Kara felt herself slipping off into a desperately desired sleep.

She dozed off into a deep dreamless sleep, for the first time in months where she was able to get a solid night of rest.

Heavy snoring awoke Kara with a start. Her head popped up, wildly looking around for the source. She took a deep breath, calming herself as she pushed aside her fight or flight reflex.

Lena had fallen asleep, slumped over in the flimsy chair. The tablet had fallen to the ground, her hand limply hanging over the armrest. It didn’t look like a comfortable position, but something told her that this was a common occurrence for Lena.

Kara knew she was a workaholic, but this sat wrong in her gut. When she returned to her body, she would figure out a way to get Lena out of the office a little more. It was her duty as Lena’s best friend to keep her socialized and have some fun.

Lena’s cell phone rang loudly, vibrating wildly on the glass table. Kara peered at the screen, excitement igniting her paws as she saw it was Alex calling.

Groggily, Lena slowly blinked her eyes open. She winced at the bright lights, stumbling blindly to pick up her phone. Lazily, she hit the speaker button and half-heartedly mumbled, “alex?”

“Lena! Listen, I know it’s late. Or, early. But I just wanted to ask if you had talked with Kara lately?” Even through the phone, Kara could hear the fearful inclination resonating within Alex.

“You called me at 5am to see if I had heard from your sister?” Lena recalled, still trying to wake up. She gave Kara a quick scratch behind the ears as she shuffled over to her small kitchen. Unsurprisingly, Lena decided to wake herself with good old irish coffee.

“Well… Yeah. You’re her best friend and I assumed she told you something-”

Lena aggressively cut her off, “Yeah well I haven’t heard anything from Kara since yesterday afternoon. She was supposed to call me after she finished her article.”

“Shit…” Alex groaned. An earsplitting shatter sounded across the phone, Kara assumed her volatile sister broke something.

“What’s going on Alex? You don’t call me unless Supergirl’s dying or you’re seriously worried about Kara. What has she gotten herself into?” Lena took a long sip of her drink, enjoying it maybe a little too much.

The line went quiet as Alex thought for a moment before reluctantly responding, “She… Uh, kind of followed some leads that led her to Cadmus.”

Kara growled, her claws digging into the paper under paw at Alex’s half assed excuse. Lena was too smart to fall for it.  
“She what?” Lena yelled so loud her sensitive ears were ringing, “How could you let her do that?”

Or, just blind.

“You know Kara better than anyone, you should know that there is nothing stopping her from seeing the truth. Afterall, her best friend is a Luthor,” Alex replied defensively.

Lena slammed the now empty cup on the counter top, not nearly hard enough to break it. “Nicely played, Danvers. Sorry my  
blood line isn’t as noble, selfish or perfect like yours.”

“Lena, stop looking for insults in every word. I meant that she didn’t let what everyone else said cloud her judgement. You know that I wasn’t always supportive of her relationship with you. You’ve proved yourself to be a beneficial ally to Supergirl and a wonderful friend to Kara,” her sister replied dryly.

Kara’s fur bristled, waiting for a simple slip up that would reveal her hard kept secret. Not that Lena would know, but Kara had defended Lena more than once to Alex when her alignment to good came into question.

“Sorry, I’m just worried about Kara. Lilian probably has her, but I wouldn’t be too worried. She… knows how important your sister is to me,” Lena sat back down in her chair, scrolling through her phone for messages. The way Lena faltered inspired a curious thought, what did Lilian see in their relationship? After all, she knew. She surely would use that information to her advantage sooner or later.

Alex was less confident in that theory, “Why do I find that hard to believe? That’s never stopped Lilian or Cadmus before, civilian lives are more of an afterthought.”

“If it’s one thing I know about my mother is that she’s cold and calculated. If she was in control of Kara’s life, she would use it to manipulate me into doing what she wants,” Lena furrowed her eyebrows as she fought back a yawn.

“But you haven’t heard anything from Cadmus, or are you just not telling me so you can idiotically try and be the white knight?” Alex questioned bluntly.

She tenderly stepped on to Lena’s lap, circling around a couple of times until she could comfortably curl into a tight ball, “Honestly, Alex. I’m not stupid enough to go up against my mother alone, not with Kara at risk.” Lena stroked her back, an impromptu purr breaking through the tense silence.

“Please, if you do know anything -or when- Lilian reaches out, please let me help. I want Kara back just as much as you do,” she had never heard Alex sound so terrified.

Lena’s strokes slowed for a moment, surprised by Alex’s show of raw emotion, “I promise, Alex.”

“Thank you,” Alex sighed before ending the call.

Within seconds, Lena was already calling another person. Kara wasn’t really sure who else, it wasn’t like there were many people for her to reach out too.

Lena’s petting slowly grew more anxious until the other line picked up.

“Lilian, we need to talk,” Lena hissed curtly into the speaker.

Kara’s head twisted at the sound of the Mother of Luthor’s name. A part of her wasn’t surprised by this, Lena was always  
going to be a lone wolf. But immediately calling Lilian? Why? What did Lena know about the warehouse incident?


	3. Is it lying when you're the one that's blind?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena reaches out to Lilian who leaves her with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPERCORP SUNDAY Y'ALL  
I haven't see the episode yet since I don't have cable, so I have to wait until it hits the app at like 3am.  
Switching gears for a new fic (FUCK I KNOW i have like 10 i need to finish okay)  
If y'all want to see me livetweeting "event horizon"; check out Phoenixfalling2 on twitter

“Lena, she’s coming,” Tess announced over the intercom later that day.

“Thank you,” she replied quickly. Lena gathered herself with a deep breath, tidying up her ragged appearance just as the door opened. Kara thought she looked fine, beautiful even in her slightly wrinkled dark navy suit. How Lilian always found a flaw in a flawless woman.

The infamous Lilian Luthor stepped in, her face revealing nothing but annoyance. “Contrary to your belief, Lena, I do have things to do than reassure you I don’t have your personal press puppy.”

“Yeah, like running a terrorist organization.” Lena said dryly, folding her arms across her chest.

“Call it what you like, but don’t come crying to me when those blinders are ripped off and you see the infestation that you’ve helped grow,” Lilian glanced down at Kara-cat, who was perched on the corner of Lena’s desk. Amusement flickered in her gaze as she commented, “You could have at least gotten a dog, that way it could have some use the next time someone threatens your life.”

“Leave Mira out of this,” she snapped, “Let’s skip the tedious back and forth. Give Kara back.”

“Lena, darling, I am not the only source of your issues. Maybe she realized a Luthor really wasn’t worth the trouble,” Lilian smirked as she watched Kara closely.

She gracefully licked her paw and drew it over her ears, trying to draw Lilian’s attention away from her. There was no way she would guess, right? For all Lilian knew, Lena had a cat for months.

“Kara’s different, she would never just disappear on me. She’s got a reporter’s heart that frequently gets her into trouble,” she said pointedly, affectionately petting Kara. “Trouble that pointed to Cadmus.”

Lilian couldn’t help but laugh, “You really don’t… No. Oh, goodness, Lena you never make things easy. Sometimes your answer is closer than you think.”

“What in the absolute fuck does that mean, mother? You clearly know something but refuse to tell me and for what? Some life lesson? You kind of missed that chance, you know, being manipulative and controlling every aspect of my childhood. And adolescence, and you’ve tried to kill me a dozen times as an adult. All I know is that Kara went to the warehouse to talk to a source and now that very building exploded,” Lena glared at her mother.

The air was static between the two vastly opposing women as they intensely waited for the other to cave. Lena wanted answers and Lilian was just as stubborn to keep them to herself.

“I’m feeling a little parched, could you be so kind and get me some sparkling water? You should get some for yourself, you look horrible. Alcohol isn’t a substitute for water, Lena,” Lillian’s tone was obnoxiously demeaning even if it was passive.

Lena’s gaze flickered from the cat to Lilian,“Of course, mother.” Hesitantly, she left Kara alone with the deranged woman.

When Lilian was positive they were alone, she turned her attention to Kara. “I cannot believe this,” she laughed, closely examining Kara-cat just to be sure. “All the people in National City, and Super-cat found her way to my daughter. Even in feline form, you found Lena. There really isn’t anything that can keep you two apart, is there?”

Kara stretched out her lithe body, acting nonchalant as pawed at the cup of pens on the desk. She flicked her tail nervously, perfectly aware that Lilian could easily kill her right now if so desired.

“You can drop the act. I knew what my Kryptonite was capable of, more or less. That, and those obnoxiously righteous blue eyes anywhere,” Lilian casually walked around the office, shifting through the stack of books resting on a shelf. “Well, more or less. We knew what it could do, although how long I can’t be certain. It may expire, it may not. It’s not like we had a test subject, until now that is.”

Kara twitched an ear, hoping that if she continued to play the part than Lilian would be convinced.

“Oh, sweet little Kara. What do you think Lena’s going to do when you eventually transform back? I imagine it’s not going to be easy to explain,” Kara bristled at the despicable Luthor’s sly tone. “I would love to see the look on her face when her beloved pet suddenly turns into her best friend. I wonder, how long will that relationship last? Are your lies good enough to save your ass from this?”

Her throat rumbled as a growl erupted unexpectedly, prompting Lilian to glance over her shoulder with a gleam of satisfaction. The growl quickly transformed into a threatening snarl.

“There she is, that feisty little reporter that loves to meddle,” Lilian moved a single chess piece, keeping her back turned to Kara. “What an interesting twist of fate, isn’t it? Stuck with your closest friend with way to anything.”

_“Just because I have paws instead of powers doesn’t mean I won’t claw your eyes out,”_ Kara growled, her fur standing on end.

“Oh I’m sorry, what was that?” Lilian sighed gleefully, “Oh, that’s right. You’re nothing more than a domesticated cat. I assume you’re threatening me, but really Kara has it come down to that?”

Just as Lillian Luthor finished her sentence, Lena entered the room with a single unopened bottle of fancy black water.

“Sorry, no sparkling water because I’m not a middle aged baby boomer. You better not be doing anything to Mira, she’s certainly upset about something,” Lena coldly handed her mother the water. “Have you decided if you were going to tell me where you’re keeping Kara?”

“I can assure you, she is not being held against her will,” she evenly met Kara’s furious gaze and then turned to her daughter.

“Then you can leave, I have a friend to find if you aren’t going to be helpful,” Lena replied stiffly, her Irish accent slipping as she started to lose her temper.

Lilian shook her head as a low chuckle emanated from her chest, “Lena… I honestly do not have Kara or Supergirl for that matter. I imagine they’re better off than you if you could believe that.”

She willingly left before Lena even had a chance to call security. Lena was fuming, her hands in tight red fists as she calmly prepped another Irish coffee (that was a little light on the coffee).

“It’s not just me, right? She knows something, clearly. It’s not just me, right Mira? You think she’s lying too?” Lena asked as if she could give an answer. She reached for her phone, hands trembling slightly as she typed in a message.

_“Well she certainly knows something,”_ she chirped, rubbing against her leg.

“I’m so glad I found you. I never considered a pet because it’s a lot of responsibility. Obviously you have to train a dog and take it out frequently but a cat? Nice and simple, you can keep me company during late work nights and come to meetings,” Lena rambled to herself, scratching Kara-cat’s head as she sat down at the desk. Just because her voice sounded confident, there was a faint redness in the whites of her eyes.

“I promise, tonight I’ll take you home. There’s a bunch of cat stuff waiting at home ,” Lena flipped through her journal, the very one Kara gave her a couple years ago. She had a sneaking suspicion that Lena was talking aloud as a way to distract herself from her fears.

Just her presence seemed to provide a sense of security. Guilt dripped down her spine as she began to realize that Lena was really excited about having a cat. She never realized how lonely Lena felt, especially when Kara had been unavailable lately. Of course seeing her mother would automatically ruin Lena’s mood, so she took it upon herself to distract Lena.

She loudly mewed and suddenly leaped to her paws, tearing across the slick tile floor. Kara skidded across the floor, unable to get a grip as she slammed head first into the wall. Dazed, she wobbled a couple of steps before regaining balance and jumped on the couch. She bounded across the couch and barreled across the room again, using her momentum to slide just before she hit the glass door.

“What on earth has gotten into you?” Lena laughed, tossing a crumpled paper ball in her direction. Kara twisted her body mid air, snagging the ball with her claws. With Lena supplying her with paper balls, the tension in the air dissipated, replaced with giggles.

It wasn’t long until her paws grew tired from playing. She sauntered over to a warm patch of sun leaking through the window pane, heat tingling her paw pads.

With Lena busy working, all she could do was to curl up and wait for an opportunity to reach Alex. If she knew either Alex or Lena, they were going to start putting clues together. If their past was indication, the two work phenomenally together when it comes to Kara being in danger.

She should at least be able to enjoy a little bit of her time as a cat, this was her one and only chance to do whatever she wants without consequence. All Kara wanted to do right now was nap. Her weird cat body tired drastically quicker than her Kryptonian body.

Warmth radiated off her fur, a loud purr filled the office alongside Lena’s consistent typing. She couldn’t give in to this feeling of content, she would be wasting her life away if she decided to put off finding Alex. Kara would see where she was at by tomorrow, then she would decide what to do.

Unable to stay awake any longer, Kara welcomed the comforting blanket of darkness ushering her into a deep slumber.

After a quality nap and some top-notch sushi, Kara-cat and Lena arrived at her penthouse. She had never seen the apartment in such a whirlwind state, it looked like every room was in a permanent state of spring cleaning, except it was November and clearly hadn’t been touched in a week. At least.

Usually Lena was a clean and organized person, at least in the office. She couldn’t judge, Lena didn’t have super-speed to clean up after a long 36 hour day.

“There isn’t anything here that can’t be replaced so go wild,” Lena set Kara onto the ground. She gently laid the laptop case on the counter, already filling up a glass to the brim with wine.

As much as Kara was tempted to poke around, she knew in her gut that it was wrong. She only knew what Lena told her, she had no reason to prod through her personal belongings just because she was under the guise of a cat.

“Hey, Alex? Yeah… So I kind of reached out to Lilian.” Lena was on the phone again.

Her ears pricked at the sound of her sister’s name. Maybe the opportunity would come to her.

“She said she doesn’t have either Kara or Supergirl, but she definitely knows something. She knows how… valuable Kara is to me. All that means is that she’s alive, but I can’t say if she’s unharmed. Supergirl on the other hand… I don’t know, Alex. We all know Luthor history with Kryptonians.”

Kara jumped from the stool to the counter, standing between Lena and the half filled glass.

“Mira, move,” Lena whispered, turning away from the cat so she could drink her wine without ingesting cat hair.

“Yeah-Alex. I don’t need you scolding me, okay? The point is Cadmus has something to do with this. I know you want to find them just as much as I do,” she took a sip as Alex responded.

“My apartment is the safest place. Trust me, I have this place… prepared. After multiple murder attempts you learn a thing or two about prepping your home for such instances, like disruptors and encryptions.”

Kara sat down right in front of Lena, tail flicking as she tried to get her attention. _“Yes! This is perfect, Alex will be here and this will all be fixed.”_ She meowed excitedly.

“Tomorrow morning it is then, I’ll see you then,” Lena confirmed before ending the call.

“You know it’s rude to meow when I’m on the phone, right?” She teased, lightly tracing Kara-cat’s tabby stripes. “You’re going to have to learn some manners, young lady.”

She purred, nuzzling Lena’s chin affectionately. Kara stepped back, the thought finally occurred to her that this was downright weird. As a cat, this behavior is expected but she wasn’t, well, a cat. Meowing and playing is  
fine, but there was uneasiness squirming around in her stomach.

Gazing up at Lena in the dim kitchen light, she could barely make out her faint heterochromia. One of her eyes was ever so slightly lighter greenish-blue than the other. She blinked affectionately down at the cat, although there was distance and distraction within the darker flecks of gold.

Just because her body was foreign didn’t mean her emotions were, the way her heart soared whenever was far too familiar. Her gaze lowered, the purr seizing to exist as dread once more tugged at her heartstrings. It always happened, the nervous surge was always accompanied by terror from the inevitable consequence of her alien secret.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Lena teased, moving from the kitchen to her bedroom with wine and book in hand.

Kara solemnly watched her leave, unable to say anything to the woman she cared for so fondly. Cats were supposed to be fearless, yet here she was, paws frozen on the marble surface as she watched Lena get settled into bed.

She disappeared for a brief moment, reappearing in an oversized National City University hoodie that covered up her shorts. Heat surged to her ear tips as Lena bent down to crawl under the blankets, realizing that she was not wearing shorts but a slightly lesser article of clothing.

Who knew cats could have full blown gay attacks? Kara certainly didn’t. They were close, of course, but she wanted more. Even the thought was taboo, if she could laugh she would, the idea of a Super and Luthor? Laughable. It was heartbreakingly amusing when she considered the nonexistent chance that Lena would reciprocate her feelings.

She had no voice now, this could all be figured out tomorrow and Lena would know that it was Supergirl had been her cat. She would automatically assume she spied, used her position as a cat to get where Supergirl never could. There was no way out of this; that Kara was certain.

All she could hope was that she could get through this without revealing that Kara Danvers was her human alias. The last thing on every Earth she wanted to do was hurt one of the most important people. No, she couldn’t do that, it would do far more than hurt Lena, it would destroy her. Another person she let in betrayed her. But Kara knew that the longer she pushed aside the secret, the worst consequence would be.

Watching Lena eagerly flip through her book, enjoying a brief moment to herself… Kara wanted to enjoy it too. Before normal, or as normal as her life could possible be, resumed. She was always worried about tomorrow, she lived in terminable anxiety, something always went wrong in National City. Rarely did she have a solid night of sleep with the entire galaxy on her shoulders.

Reign, Daximites, Lex Luthor, nothing ever scared her more than the woman just feet away. The fear of something real held her back, at least Kara could masquerade as Supergirl when need be, her work as a reporter drove her even more to be better. Maybe it was because in a sense, love was a weakness. It’s not that Lena couldn’t protect herself like Alex, but there was something different. Like Clark and Lois, he took leave from Superman to start his family.

If Lena knew, she would be a target. She would be in more danger than she usually was, and if people connected their relationship together? Even worse.

Kara shook herself violently, stuffing her puzzling emotions deep down where she would deal with them later. Just one more night, before she had to lie again.

“How nice of you to join me, Mira,” she chuckled as Kara purposefully stepped all over her.

Lena flinched as she stepped on a tender spot on her chest, “Ow! Watch where you’re stepping!”

_“Sorry!”_ Kara squeaked, she still wasn’t used to having four paws quite yet. She took a comfortable position next to Lena, leaning against her reassuring warmth. Kara laid her head on Lena’s stomach, demanding attention.

Lena focused on her book once more, gently stroking her soft fur, “I’m glad you’re here, I don’t feel so alone now that I have you.”

Kara purred in response, snuggling closer. With each stroke, felt the tug of sleep grow stronger. No wonder cats were lazy, they never had the energy to do anything but sleep. There was no drive, no desire to get up and do anything except push things off the counter.

She eventually drifted off to where she was partially asleep but still aware of Lena’s movements. Her ear flicked at the sound of a book shutting quietly and a click as the light turned off.

Groggily, she lifted her head as Lena adjusted her position carefully so that she was more comfortable. She was now laying on her side facing Kara, one arm lifting up her head and the other curled over her.

“Goodnight, Mira. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day,” Lena murmured. Her eyes drifted shut, breathing slowed as she eventually slipped off into a deep sleep.

The pale light leaking in from the vibrant night cityscape highlighted her sharp features, even sleeping she looked perpetually stressed.

_‘Lena… What am I going to about you?’_ Her heart swelled when Lena snuggled closer. She was now holding Kara like a young child hugging their favorite stuffed animal after their parents had a massive fight.

Kara sighed, the familiar sense of yearning aching echoed throughout her entire little body. Life had a sense of humor, or maybe it was just supplying her a lesson that whether or not she would learn from it.

What was there to learn? That even in a different form she was still afraid of her feelings? That her best friend was struggling while she was too busy saving people, when the closest person to her needed it the most? In all honesty, her secret was keeping her from being the best friend possible.

_‘I could tell you right now and you wouldn’t know. Maybe I am being selfish, you’ve had people constantly lie to you. I have faced Nazi’s and death, I fought my own doppleganger without hesitation. But you? You’re everything I want yet everything I fear,’_ Kara rested her head on her paws.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note to self; plan out fics because you get 1/3 of the way through and have no idea where to go from there because you're an impulsive dumbass.

**Author's Note:**

> anyways stan the dark crystal show


End file.
